Trust no one

You wake up in the middle of a night to your phone ringing. At first you ignore it, shrugging it off. Then closing your eyes again. When it calls again a few second later. You grab your phone turning it off.

"Miss Jones I deeply apologize, but I have been informed to wake you up and ask you to pick up the phone" Jarvis announces.

You look up at the wall, shaking your head.

"Mute" you yell. As you cover your ears with the pillow.

Then your phone rings again. You sigh deeply frustrated as you realize it Nick.

"Do you have idea what time it is" you yawn loudly.

"There's not much time y/n I need your help"

"With what?"

There's a moment of silence, while you're waiting for him to answer you.

"Not here..I need you in DC, deep shadow condition" he says. "Im really Sorry"

You exhale sharply, knowing exactly what is happening, grabbing some clothes.

"Give me four hours I'll be there"

"You have Two and a half. Over" Nick says hanging up the phone. You grab your coat, as you knock on Steve's door. He wanted you back in the business, here was his shot.

"Steve! Wake up, get dressed and meet me in the garage in five minutes" you shout. Knocking on the door one more time so make sure he's awake.

You sit down in the car waiting, and exactly five minutes later, Steve opens up the car door. And as soon as he's in, you drive off. You drive past five red lights, going way over the speed limit. Fury didn't over dramatize things, so when he needed you, shit was going down.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Steve asks nervously.

"I don't know.. I just have a feeling it's bad.. I couldn't go alone" you explain.

"So Fury huh?" Steve chuckles. "He was all it took for you to get back in the game?"

You look over at him, shaking you head. "He saved my life once.. I owe him everything." You admit. Speeding up. As your near the city.

"So where are we going?"

"An old apartment I lived in. Fury kept it in my name in case of an emergency.." you explain.

"Why didn't you bring mischief along?"

"He's off earth at the moment.. don't know when he's coming back.. if he's coming back" you scoff. "It doesn't matter" you lie. You can't get emotional now. There's to much at risk.

"What happened?"

"I really Dont want to talk about it" you sigh tiredly

"Y/n it's okay"

"He left me alright?... He walked out the door.. said he couldn't do it so..." You yell.

"Well that's his loss" Steve smiles.

"Right"

You stop a few block away from the apartment. Reaching in the back for two large hoodies, you throw one of them to Steve, as you put it on, covering your face the best you can. As you quietly sneak through the back door up to the apartment.

You hear the sound of taking a chance of love playing through the door.. You turn around making sure no one's around, before grabbing the key in a small hidden hole underneath the doormat. Locking you and Steve in. It's completely dark inside the apartment, the only noise is from your old record player.

"Y/n what's going on?" Steve whispers, as he follows slowly behind you.

"I just need to make sure there's no one in here" you explain, looking through every room, before stepping inside.

Then you walk into your bedroom, Nick is laying on the bed, badly injured.

You rush to his side, checking on his wound. While Steve stays in the doorway.

"What happened to him?" Steve asks nervously.

You and Nick hushes at him, as you take out you phone writing on your notes, tossing the phone to him.

They're listening

Steve looks up at you, slightly scared of what's going on. He writes a message, tossing the phone back to you.

Who's listening?

"I'm so sorry to come unannounced, but I had no where else to crash" Fury says softly. As he grabs your phone typing on your phone.

SHIELD compromised.

"You know you can always come to me"

Steve looks at you worriedly, as you clean Fury's wound on his lower arm. Smiling softly at him.

"Who else knows" Steve mouths to you. You look over at Fury as he types another message. Slowly getting up from your bed.

The three of us.

Steve shakes his head, this was definitely not the type of thing he expected when you drove off a few hours earlier.

"Why didn't you crash somewhere else" Steve scoffs. Clearly annoyed by all the secrecy.

"I had no other-"

Suddenly a loud gunshot fires, hitting you in the shoulder. And throwing Fury down to the ground, as multiple bullets hit him in the back.

He screams in pain, as you jump to the floor, laying on top of him. Hoping to shield from the bullets. Feeling as they go right through you. Steve freezes for a moment, unable to move, as he sees the massive bleeding, unsure if it comes from you or Fury.

Steve helps you up on your feet, swinging you up over his shoulder, as he pulls Fury away, with his one free arm. He seeks cover in the kitchen, gently putting you down. As the shock wears off.

"Steve Call an ambulance" you say as quietly as you can in between your panicked breaths. "Now"

Steve nods understandingly, calling an ambulance.

You look down at yourself, watching as the wounds slowly close on their own, your shirt covered in gun holes and blood. Fury grabs your hand, as you kneel down before him. Trying to stay strong.

"You're going to be fine.. you hear me" you whimper quietly. "Focus on me Nick please"

He grabs something from his pocket, pulling you closer towards him. "Trust no one" he whispers to you, handing you a USB drive.

Suddenly the door gets kicked open, as a woman with a gun walks in. You've seen her before. Around the apartment building.

"Who are you?" You ask coldly. Pulling out a gun, pointing it towards her.

Steve rushes in, standing by your side.

"I'm agent 13 of SHIELD special service. I've been assigned to protect you" she explains, putting down the gun.

"By who?" You ask confused.

She walks into the kitchen, watching Nicks body on the floor, as he struggles to keep breathing.

"Him" she gasps. Kneeling down taking his pulse.

Steve holds your hand, as you both look down at his body mortified. You're trying so badly to stay strong.. but you can't loose him, not yet.. it's not his time. You can't focus on what anyones saying. Suddenly Steve's grabs your head, trying to get you attention.

"I think I saw the shooter. Stay with him, alright I'll meet you at the hospital" Steve says trying to keep you calm.

You say nothing simply nodding your head, as he jumps out the window.

You lean down, holding onto Nicks hand. Remembering the last thing he said to you..

Trust no one.

Which meant you couldn't trust her, whoever she claimed she was. There was no certainty she couldn't be behind all of this. But it also meant you couldn't trust Steve right now, as much as you wanted to. You only had yourself right now.

Five minutes later an ambulance arrived at the scene. You refused to let go of his hand. You couldn't allow yourself to let him go. You sat with him as the ambulance drove to the nearest hospital, constantly making sure that if you squeezed his hand, he would respond. But as the minutes past his grip on you got weaker and weaker. You wanted so badly to stay strong for him. Not cry. But the tears builded up. And as soon as you arrived at the hospital you were forced to let go of his hand. You fell to you knees as they rushed him into the OR.

You feel someone embrace you tightly, pulling you from the ground. You turn around seeing Maria's soft smile, you embrace her tightly.

"He was shot so many times" you sob.. "there was blood everywhere.. I tried to cover him.. but they went right through me" you break down.

"I know.. It's going to be okay" she assures you.

You stay at the hospital for hours on end waiting for news. As the hours pass the hope of good news slowly slip away. Steve comes around an hour after the accident, being by your side, as you take turns getting some sleep. He lost the shooter, like he just vanished into thin air.

After Four hours of constant waiting outside the Operation room, the door flies open, as Natasha steps in. She runs to you giving you a hug.

"Is he gonna make it?" Natasha ask softly, as you walk over to the window, looking in as they operate.

"We don't know yet" you answer.

"Tell me about the shooter" Natasha says coldly.

"He's fast.. super strong, he caught my shield. I've never seen anyone throw with that force before.." Steve explains. "He had a metal arm."

"He got away" you scoff sadly.

Maria hangs up the phone, walking up to you. As the four of you stand together.

"Ballistics?" Natasha asks.

"Three slugs, no rifling. It's completely untraceable" Maria sniffles. Her eyes as red and puffy as yours.

"Soviet made" you add.

There's a moment of panic as the doctors starts moving around quickly.

"He's in V-tach" you hear over the speaker.

Feeling as your heart skips a beat.. you knew very little about the terms used in medicine. But from the way he said it.. you knew it wasn't good news. Steve takes you hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Crash cart incoming"

"Nurse help me with the drape"

"His BP's dropping.."

"Defibrillator!"

The tears starts rolling down your cheeks again, seeing him lying on that table. Knowing that any minute know his heart could stop beating... knowing that it will stop beating.

"Charge him at 100"

"Don't do this to me Nick.. I need you" you whisper, putting your left hand up against the glass window. "I can't loose you to" you lower lip quivering as you speak.

"Stand back"

"Three"

"Two"

Your heart stops beating as they count down.

"One"

"Clear"

You stand in silence, all of you to frightened to say a word.

"No pulse"

"200, stand back!"

You turn around, not able to look at this for one more second.

"Three"

"Two"

"One"

Come on Nick.. come on. Come on. Don't do this to me.

"Clear"

"Get me an epinephrine"

"Pulse?"

"Negative"

You let your body slowly slide down against the wall, closing your eyes, trying to get the image of his bloody body on the kitchen floor out of your head. Struggling to catch your breath.

Dont Do This to me Nick.. Im never forgiving you.. Dont Do This to me

Then the room goes quiet.. not the kind where everyone just stops talking because they don't know what to say. The kind of silence that could kill, because there is nothing left to be said.

The only sound in the room, is from you muffled cries in the corner.

"Time of death 1:03 am."

Everyone slowly leaves the room. Natasha and Steve begs you to come outside with them. But instead you get up, walking to the glass one more time. This really wasn't how you wanted to remember your last moment with him. Bleeding and lifeless on a hospital table.

Steve walks in once more, trying to get you out of the room.

"Come on y/n.. don't do this to yourself" he pleads.

"Do what?" You sob. "He's dead.."

"Come and say goodbye. This won't help anything"

He reaches out his hand, as you look up at him with teary eyes. You nod your head as he follows you into a quiet small room. Seeing his body. He looks so peaceful.

You walk up next to Natasha. She looks at you and smile sadly.

"He changed my life.."she smiles.

"Yeah he changed mine to.. putting me on the right track in life.."

"Thank you for calling him that day" Natasha says, as she walks back to Steve, allowing you to get a moment alone to say goodbye.

You grab his hand, looking down at his face.

"Thank you Nick.. for being my friend, when I needed you, but mostly at the time when I didn't want you to be my friend.. you made me do better.. I won't let you down" you whisper quietly. "I promise.. I'll be better"

Maria walks in. "I need to take him." She whispers to Steve.

He walks slowly towards you, gently places his hand on your shoulder. You turn around knowing what it means.

"Y/n" he says softly.

"No" you stammer..

"Y/n" Natasha tries.

"I know" you sob.

You place his hand on his chest. Resting yours there for a second.

"Just one last favor Nick.. don't be dead" you whisper. As you storm out of the room. You look down in your hand as you see the file he handed you just a few hours prior.

Trust no one.